Gujar youth was killed in cold blood: Mehbooba
'Mohammad Parvez was executed in a fake encounter by those meant to protect him. This is state-sponsored terror targeting the Gujjar-Bakerwal community. I demand a time-bound judicial probe to expose the culprits and ensure justice,' Ms. Mufti said.
She warned that 'such killings deepen alienation and erode trust in democratic institutions.'
The Gujjar youth was shot dead during a shoot-out on July 24, 2025, in Surey Chak under Satwari Police Station. The family accused the police of staging the encounter.
Omar govt. failed
Ms. Mufti said despite the high expectations, the elected government of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has failed to stop abuse of the populace.
'The killing of Parvez is part of a chilling pattern of violence, with over a dozen Gujjar-Bakerwal men dying in suspicious circumstances in 2024-25,' Ms. Mufti said.
The former chief minister commented on other such cases: in February 2025 Makhan Din, a 25-year-old Gujjar from Kathua Bhilawar, committed suicide after recording a video alleging torture by the security forces. In March 2025, three Gujjar youths — Showkat Ahmad Bhajad, Riyaz Ahmad Bhajad, and Mukhtar Ahmad Awan — from Kulgam, who went missing on their way to a wedding, were found dead in the Vishaw River, with families alleging torture marks contradicting police claims of drowning. In April 2025, Altaf Hussain Lali, a Gujjar from Bandipora, branded an 'overground worker' (OGW) for militants, was killed in what his family claims was a staged encounter. On May 4, 2025, Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray, a 23-year-old from Tangmarg, Kulgam, reportedly in army custody, allegedly jumped into the Vishaw Nallah stream in Kulgam's Aharbal Wattoo area during a search operation, resulting in his death.
Missing shepherd
'Besides, Manzoor Ahmad Tedwa from Marhwa, Kishtawar, has been missing from his pasture for two months, with police failing to locate him. Muddasir Ahmad Dhakad, a tribal madrasa student from Devsar, Kulgam, has been missing since June 22, 2025, with his family pleading for justice. Kathua and Samba police have detained thousands of community members, releasing them after investigations that found no guilt, further fueling distrust,' Ms. Mufti said.
She said the nomadic Gujjar-Bakerwal communities face relentless harassment during their seasonal cattle migrations. 'Reports from 2025 document arbitrary accusations of drug peddling and cattle smuggling, obstruction of migration routes, and forced evictions, such as the 2020 demolition of Bakerwal dhoks in Pahalgam,' she said.
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